Re: Magnetic lines like these ?

[William Beaty <billb@eskimo.com>]

On Mon, 2 Mar 1998, LUDWIK KOWALSKI wrote:

> On Sun, 01 Mar 1998  William Beaty <billb@eskimo.com> wrote:
>
> > ..  Plasma is a conductor. 
>
> Not in the same sense as a metal.

But it is a material which contains mobile charges, therefor it is a
conductor, therefor magnetic induction will cause electric currents within
it. 

> Vacuum also "conducts" charged particles
> when an electric field, E, is applied.

I disagree.  Vacuum only conducts when electrons are present, but then
that is not a vacuum, that is an electron plasma.  A perfect vacuum is a
perfect conductor.  A hot filament changes the vacuum by adding an
electron plasma, which is itself a conductor. 

> Electrons do not escape from metal
> unless they can ovecome binding, for example, when a fillament is heated. 
> What is the value of the "work function" for a stream of solar wind in 
> which there are about 10 to 100 atoms per cubic centimeter?

But doesn't Work Function apply to boundaries between materials?  I don't
see the significance in this situation.  Ah, you mean neutral-atom solar
wind?  Yes, if the solar wind is neutral atoms, then it is not a
conductor.  But if the solar wind contains ions or free electrons, then it
is conductive, and changing b-fields will induce currents.  If the solar
wind is not ionized, then I can't explain that "current sheet" term from
the article.


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